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July 24, 2008

rivals

Steve Ballmer planning to aim Microsoft death ray at Apple?

Posted Jul. 24, ’08, 9:00 AM PT by Dan Moren
Category | Apple » Rivals

ballmerdeathray.jpgAs much as Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer blusters about Apple and its pitiful spot in the market when compared to the behemoth that Bill Gates built, we know that deep down inside, Ballmy actually is holding tight onto a core of love and admiration for the folks in Cupertino, even if he forbids his children from using iPods (and, we hear, eating with forks—what can we say, he’s a madman!).

Deep, deep down. Like, way down. Journey to the Center of the Earth down.

But for him to actually come out and say it? Seems unlikely, outside of the context of an intense psychotherapy session. Nonetheless, in a recent memo to Microsoft employees, Stevie B. apparently decided to unblock his chakra and let those good feelings come rushing out.

“In the competition between PCs and Macs, we outsell Apple 30-to-1. But there is no doubt that Apple is thriving. Why? Because they are good at providing an experience that is narrow but complete, while our commitment to choice often comes with some compromises to the end-to-end experience. Today, we’re changing the way we work with hardware vendors to ensure that we can provide complete experiences with absolutely no compromises. We’ll do the same with phones—providing choice as we work to create great end-to-end experiences.”

Wow. I mean, wow. Well, we knew Billy boy didn’t bring Ballmer on for his looks, I guess. But that’s a pretty fair assessment of one of Apple’s key strengths. Note the particular focus on phones, too. I think we can guess where Microsoft is going to be turning their giant baleful eye next. The question, to my mind, is whether a company so big can turn nimbly enough on its feet to confront a target that’s speeding by them (Ballmer also announced that Microsoft would be reorganizing its Platform and Services Division).


9 Comments

Anonymous said:

This healthy respect for Apple that seems to come out in interviews with Bill Gates, as well, is sorely missing in their interactions with their employees. Instead of telling them to use the crap out of Google and then build something better, they forbid them from using it. iPods are banned, iPhones are blended on stage, and Mac users are generally shamed. Every time I interact with friends from Microsoft, they berate apple products and talk about how crappy they are, even though they have never used them. I often point out that MS doesn't make competing hardware (Zune aside), that MS is the largest seller of software for the Mac, and that the Mac Book Pro is lauded as the best computer for running Vista and yet it falls on deaf ears. If they want to truly learn from Apple, they need to make a shift in their culture.

July 24, 2008 9:47 AM
Moe Author Profile Page said:

What Microsoft needs to do is shut down some of it's product offerings and focus more on what they do well. You know... Hm, Hold on, I know they do something well... Vista.. no, Windows Mobile... no, Office.. YES.. wait... no. Oh never mind!

July 24, 2008 10:24 AM
spiderbat said:

Where can I put myself in line to buy the ZUPHONE??????

July 24, 2008 11:14 AM
Jon said:

In other words, Steve Ballmer is going to try to please everyone.

Good luck with that.

July 24, 2008 11:30 AM
Dave said:

As was so beautifully said previously: "Redmond, start your photocopiers."

July 24, 2008 12:14 PM
Nick said:

Actually Dan, this is what Microsoft does every two or three months... Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, ...blah!

We've heard it time and time again how Microsoft is really, seriously, now it's real, trust me, I swear it is, the real thing, this time we will do something about whatever. This is stockholder reassurance talk and shouldn't even be picked up. Notice the language, we are committed, we will do this from now one, etc? Well, I've heard the same talk from them for an entire decade and how they will at last finally do something and about something else.

The problem with Microsoft is too much talk, not enough solutions. Too many Microsoft-created problems, not enough innovations (outside of a great, albeit dodgy business plan.) That's what I appreciate about Apple. Little talk but great everyday working systems.

July 24, 2008 12:24 PM
Anonymous said:

They do a good job of repacking Logitec mice and keyboards

July 24, 2008 12:40 PM
Greg said:

It's not a Ballmer post without:

DEVELOPERS
DEVELOPERS
DEVELOPERS
DEVELOPERS

DEVELOPERS
DEVELOPERS
DEVELOPERS
DEVELOPERS

July 24, 2008 4:06 PM
Follower Author Profile Page said:

The Mac’s U.S. market share as of late 2007 was 8.1%.

Discounting Linux etc., that means Microsoft has the remaining 92%. By my math, that’s about a 12-to-1 ratio. It seems Ballmer arrived at the 30-to-1 ratio using mathematical analysis software from Microsoft. As he says, the best in the world.

July 25, 2008 8:55 AM

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